Landing gear strut



y 1945- w. G. WOOD 2,376,951

LANDING GEAR STRUT Filed April 20, 1943 2 Shee'ts-Shee't I May 29, 1945. w. G. wooD" 2,376,951

LANDING GEAR STRUT Filed April 20, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 securing the upper strut Ito the aircraft.

Patented May 29, 1945 f Wilbur Wood, Glendale, foams. assignor r6 11 Menasco Manufacturing Company, .Burbank, Ca'lifi, a corporation of California 9 Application April 20, 1943, SerialNo. 483,751.

9 Claims. (01444 -104) This'invention relates to landing gear struts of the type utilized in the construction of aircraft,

and is more particularly directed to the construction of such a landing gear of the hydraulic shockabsorbing type and in which means are provided for controlling and adjusting the position of alignment of the landing wheels supported there- It is a particular object of this invention to provide an aircraft landing gear structure wherein means are provided between the extensible struts thereof for determining the; position of alignment of the landing wheel carried by one of such struts. It is another object of this invention tojprovide an alignment determining device which is connected between the elements of the hydraulic shock absorbing to maintain a landing wheel in adjustment of such wheel alignment.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will beapparentfrom the following alignment and which provides'ai simple means of detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings; 1'. z.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation embodying my invention. V

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a plan view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figur 1'. 1

Figure 4 is .a plan view taken substantially'on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure-1. v In the preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I in dicates an upper strutmember and ,2 a lower strut member of an aircraft landing gear. Strut members I and 2 are telescoped togetherand, as is common in such structure, are provided with a a'landing gear strut The pin [4 passes" through. i a bore formed through the boss l5 and is secured therein through the medium of a fastening bolt l l. ifl

The torque arm 6 has formedi at-its outer end a fork l 8 within which the block" IT is I mounted. The block 1 carrie'sa pivot pin 19 upon which the .fork I8 is ,journaled. Formed at'theouterlend 'ofv the torque-arm! is a boss 20, throughwhich a 1 passes.

pivot pin 2| formed in'tegra'l with the'pivot bIocl; An adjustment shim .22 is positioned uponit e pivot pin 2| to engage the end faceoi the block 1 and theadjacent faceof t'he bossllt'. 'The pivot pin Zl'has formedthereon a knurled flan'g'fl over which there is fitted' a'n internally knurled washer 24. i The washer 24 engages the outerfaee ofthe boss". A securing nut 25is r the pivot pin 2i to maintain-the assembly. The

pivotally connected torque arms Sand 6 thereby resist relative rotation-of the struts lv and 2while the pivotal connection provided with the pivot block 1 permits relative axial "movement ofthe said struts. v l i 'By adjustment of the thickness -of the"fshim 22, the pcsitionof alignment of the Wheel! may be easily determined. By utilizing a thicker shim 22 as the landing gear assembly is illustrated in Figure 1', the wheel 4 will be rotated toward the right. Similarly, by reducing the-"thickness of the shim 22, the reverse revolution 'of the wheel 4 will be 'accomplishedi- The locking meanspro vided by the assembly of the "internallyfknurled washer 24 and the knurled flange 23 of 'the'pirl 2|- prevents relative. rotation of the pmrl 'washer 24 and securing nut 25, the'reby'insuring against relative rotation betweerrthe pin 2l"a'ridf'the nut 25 which would otherwise' actto release the clamp;v

hydraulic shock absorbing meansresisting their ing action or thenut 2s tending to hold theshim 22 against t e races or the eynnaricar bosszo. Having fullydescribed :m invention, it is tobe understood that th -same i of the run coped:

the appended claims.

Iclaim: f. 1 1, In a landing gear, thecombination with a pair of telescoping strut members, one of which,

carries a landing wheel; the said struts being 'tele'scop'ed together for relative: longitudinal means of a pivot block "I. i The torque arm 5 has a connecting yoke 'S'bymeansoi' whichit is pivotally secured at a pivot pin 9 to a boss H) which is carried by a plate "ll welded tothe collar l2 mounted atthe lower end of'the strut 'I'. The torque arm 8 has a similar yoke 13 by means of movement. of a torgue resisting 'mearis connected between said struts for maintaining a position of alignment of the'landing-whee said torque resisting means "comprising torque/arm one of which is pivotally connected byritsone end with each of said struts, and alignment adjustment pivotal connecting means for pivotally connecting the other ends of said torque arms.

which it'is-seeured through-the medium of a pivot pin H to a cylindrical boss l5-carried by the collar [6 of the lower strut 2.

2. 1 In a landing gear construction having a pair of telescoping struts; one of which carries a landingwheel, I means for resisting relative rotation v of said "struts, said means including: a pair or radially extending torque arms, each pivotally threaded to theend or i l 4. In alanding of relatively longitudinally moving strut members,

connected at its radially inner end with. a strut; and an alignment adjusting means pivotally connecting the radially outer ends of said torque arms, said alignment adjustment means includj-fing'a stud which-is adapted to be pivotally con-f" neoted to the radially outer end of one or said torque arms and is adapted to be pivotally. and

adjustably connected with a radially outerfend of the other of said torque arms, there' being' a shim positioned upon said stud between "the radially outer end of one of said torque armsand the means for pivotal connection with the end of the other of said torque arms. r

3. In a landing gear construction, the combination with a pair. of relatively longitudinally moving strut members, one 'of which carries :a

including pivotal elementafqr e ch of said torq e arms disposed in perpendicularly related axes, the axis of one of said pivotal elements being [,substantially parallel with the hinged axes be- "tween said torque arms andvsaid struts.

:j i7 A n; aircraft landing gear, comprising: a

landing wheel in a position of alignment, of'a torque resisting ymeans interconnected between saidstruts for'holding the same from relative ro tation, said torque resisting means comprising:

' I a pair of radially extending torque arms, each of which is pivotally securedto a strut at its radially inner ends; an alignment adjustment pin block 'pivotally connecting the radially outer ends of said torque arms, and having an adjustment shim interposed between, oneofosaid torque arms and said block whereby the vposition of the alignment termined. 7

gear construction having a pair one of which carries ai' and n h 1 oriented relative to the other; strut member, the combination of a; torque resisting means being interconnected between saidstruts-rorholding the same ,from relative j rotation said torque; resisting means comprising: a pair of radially-extendin pair of telescoping struts; a pair, of radially dis- 7 posedtorque arms, hinged at their radially inner ends to said struts for movement about substantially parallel axes traversing the longitudinal axis of said struts, the radially outer ends of said arms being in circumferential abutment; means for connecting and relatively journalling the radially outer ends 'ofsaid torque armsabout an axis substantially parallel; with their hinged axes; a connectingmeans joining the radially outer extremities of said torque arms; .said con necting means including-a firstjournal element connected with one of'said torque arms and disposed in an aXis substantially-parallel with the axes between said torque arms and said struts,

' and a second journal element connected with the other of said torquearms and disposed'per it .of the wheel carried by the strut memberis de perpendicularly to a plane defined by the axis of said first journal element and the axis of the connection between said other torquearm and itsstruta up 8. An aircraft landing gear, comprising: a pair of telescoping'struts; a pair of radially, disposed torque arms, hinged at theirradially inner ends to said struts for movement about substantially parallel axes traversing the longitudinal axis of said struts, the radially outer ends of said torque arms, each ofqwhich is pivotal-1y secured at its radially inner end to a strut; a fork formed at thev radially outer end ot'one ofsaid torque arms; a'boss formed at the radially outerend of the other torque arm a pivot block pivotally adjustment shim interposed-between-the bo s and the blockwhereby the orientation Ofthe wheel carried-by'said one strut ,memberis varie'mja nut threaded to said pin, a locklwasher'having an internal knurled surface and said pin 5 having a a ng e t ll urle l a to se ure th pin inpos'itionwithin the said bos s."-

- 5. nairc t d g e r q rn ris n r am: of telescopingstruts; a pair. of radially disposed "torquearms, hinged at theirjradially-inner ends to said strut -formovement aboutsubstantially parallel axes traversing thelongitudinal axis-of said struts, the radially outer ends of said-arms 1 being .in circumferential abutment; means for connecting and relativelyjournalling the radially outer ends of said torque arms about an axis substantially parallel with their hinged axes; and

means adapted to be interposed between the cirmounted in'said forkand a pivot stem extending I from said block and-journaled in said boss-; .;an

being, substantially parallel with the hinged axes between said torque arms and said struts, and means disposed on said one journal axis for varying the circumferential spacing or said torque arms. 7 v

9. An aircraft landing gear, comprising: a

pair of telescoping struts; a pair of radially disposed torque arms, hingediat their radially inner ends to said struts for. movement about substantially parallel axes traversing the longitudinal axis of said struts the radially outer ends of said arms being in circumferential abutment; means for connecting and-relatively journalling the radially outer ends of saidtorqu'e arms about an axis substantially parallel with'their hinged axes; a'connecting means joining the cumferentially abutting radially outer extremities of said torque armsto displace said arms circum: ferentially therebyto vary'therelative orientation of said telescoping struts.

6. An aircraft landing gear, comprising:

oftelescopingstruts; a pair Jof'r'adially". disposed torque arms, hinged at heir mannymnersncs to saidstruts forjmovement about substantially parallel axes traversing the longitudinal axis of saidstruts, the radially outer ends of saidarrr'is being in circumferential abutment, a connect! ing 'm'eansz joining'f the radially I outer extremities of said torque arm's; said connecting means radially outer extremities of said torque arms;

said connecting means-including afirst journal element connected with one of said "torque arms and disposed in an-axis substantially parallel with the axes between said torque arms and said struts, and 'a second journal 1 element connected withthe other of said torquejarms. and disposed v perpendicular toa plane defined bythe axis ,of said first journal element and the axis of the 7 connection between said other torque arm'and its strut, and means incorporated with, said first journal element for varying. the circumferena v tial spacingof said torquearms, thereby to vary the circumferential orientation of said struts g that G; wees?- 

